Binder-blank feed mechanism



April 28, 1925. 1,535,319

A. J. KUSTERER BINDER BLANK FEED MECHANISM Original Filed' May 29, 1920 5 Sheets-Shae? 1 W A TTORNEYS.

April 28, 1925. 1,535,319

A. J. KUSTERER BINDER BLANK FEED v MECHANISI Original Filed May 29, 1920 5 ShQetS Sheet 2 April 28, 1925.

' A. .1, KUSTERER BINDER BLANK FEED MECHANISM Original Filed May 29, 1920 INV EN TOR.

5 sheets sheet 5 ATTORNEY-5;?

April 28,1925. f 1,535,319

A. J. *KUSTERER BINDER BLANK iEED MECHANISM Driginal Filed May 29, 1920 5 Sh'eeb a -sh eei'. 4

Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES rATEuT FFNE.

ALUYSI'US JOSEPH KUSTEREB, GE RIGHIt-TGND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNUR TOCOZISOLEDATED PAPER AND BOX MANUFACTURING:COMPANY, RICl-ll'i/E'QND, VIRGINIA, A GOIt- Pen-Arron or vtnerura.

BINDER-BLANK MLECHZ-lNISM;

Original application filed May 29, 1920, Serial No. 385,361. Divided and this application filed August 10,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoYsI s J. Kos'rnnnn,

a citizenot' the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binder-Blank Feed Mechanism; and]: do hereby declare the following to a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This application is a division of my application for tray making machine, filed il'i ay 29th, 1920, Serial No. 385,361. In this 15 application there is described and claimed a mechanism for automatically feeding sheet metal blanks or the like, to be subsequently formed into U-shap'ed clips and secured to the edges of trays that are "formed in the machine described and claimed in said ap- Figure 2 is a side elevation of the right hand side;

Figure 3 is a plan View; 7

as Figure 4; is an end elevation; partly in section;

Figure 5 1s a longitudinal section; i11gure (5 IS a plan view 0t guiding supports;

as Figure 7 is a section through one guiding support; on line 7-4" of Fig. (3. 7 Figure 8 is a perspec'rtivc of a guide and die, parts being separated;

Figure 9 is a vertical section through a pneumatic feeding device; 1

Figure 10 is a horizontal section through the feeding arm;

Figures 11 and 12 are details of mechanism tor elevating a stack of blanks in a magazine Figure 13 illustrates the form of blank,

Serial No. 491,222.

ing 200. It comprises a table 201 with guide ways and bearings and two inclined legs 202 having base flanges 203 provided with perforations for bolts 204 by which they are rigidly bolted to the upper surfaces or the front portions of members 12 of right side frame 9. The other or left side of the casting 200 is supported by a hollow casting 205 designed to function as an air chamber in connection with the, mechanism for {ceding the tin plateblanks '1. Two lateral ears or flanges 206 on the casting 205 are bolted to the left hand edge. of said table 201, ane a horizontal base flange 207 on said hollow casting is bolted to the upper surface of the front part of member 12 of the left hand side frame 9. r

In the top of table 201 is a wide guide groove with under out sides 209, one or which is formed in a removable gih 210. Near the right hand side 01 the said wide under-cut guide groove a rectangular channel 211 is sunk, and midway of this channel is an opening 212 to admit the perimeter of a gear wheel. In the guide groove a feed plate 213 is fitted to reciprocate, and on the under side of feed plate 218 there is a rack 21 1 fitted in the channel 211. The rack 21-11:

projects both forward and rearwarc'i of the general front and rear ends of the feed I plate 213, and its raclt teeth engage the teeth ot the gear wheel 215 which pro ect through the said opening 212. On each side oi the liore and aft center line of the reciprocating teed plate 213 is bolted au'angle plate each having a horizontal and vertical flange. The horizontalflanges oi the angle plates 216are provided with transverse siots 217, and on their under sides with guide ribs218 of rectangular section which fit in corresponding transverse ways upon the feed plate 213. Bolts 219 pass through the slots into the feed plate and thereby secure the angle plates 216 adjustabiy to the feed plate so that they may be moved toward and from each other transversely of v the, machine.

'The"reentrant angles of said angle plates face each other and on the inner faces of the vertlcal flanges are bolted feed fingers 220,

one on each side of the center line ot the 1nachine, whereby two tin plate blanks may be sin'lulta'neoiiisly fed. On the upper edge ct each. feed linger 220 are two steps Iicrmiug two shoulders, at front shoulder 221 and an intermediate shoulder 222., while on the under side is a single shoulder 223.

Bolted to the table 201 on each side of the longitudinal center line is a guide member and forming die 224 for the tin plate blanks. These members are similar and face each other. Each has a pair of horizontal flanges 225 projecting laterally from its under side, having transverse slots 226 therethrough and transverse ribs 227 on their under sides adapted to fit correspond mg grooves in the table 200 and gib 2.10. Bolts 228 pass through said slots 226 thereby enabling said guide members 224 to be adjusted transversely toward and from each other. The inner faces of the guides 224 he adjacent the path of movement of the feed fingers 220 for the larger portion of their length and then jut inward to constitute the die block 228 in which the tin plate blank T is formed into a V-shaped blank. lieyoud the guide block the guide continues rearward in a grooved guiding extension 229. A mating guide member 230 is spaced from the upper part of the guide 224 between the die block 228 and the front extremity of said guide 224. Each mating guide member has a lateral flange 231 through which. bolts 232 are passed and threaded into the upper end surface of the member 224. In the space between guide 224 and mating guide member 230 the feed finger 220 reciprocates, its end entering and being guided by a groove in the bottom of the matrix of die block 228 and extension guide 229, and the shoulder 221 passing in a groove on the under side of flange 231. The upper surface 232 of guide 224 and mating guide 230 is flat and constitutes the surface on which the tin blanks T are deposited and moved toward the dieblock 228. At the front end, or deposit end, this surface is considerably wider than the tin, plate blanks and is bounded by flanges and 234- parallel for a portion of their extent and then converging as they approach the die block 228, and extending parallel again on each side of the matrix a distance apart equal to the width of the tins T. As the means to be described for depositing the tins on the surface 232 is not adjustable and has always the same amplitude of movement, it will be seen that the width of the surfaces at the point of deposit should be greater than the width of the tins by an extent suflicient to adapt said surface to receive the tins whether the guides 224 be adjusted to their positions of nearest aproach or greatest separation, the converglug portions 233 and 234 of the flanges 233, 234, causing the tins to register with the matrices of the die blocks 228 in any event.

The tin plate blanks are held in two stacks in a magazine or hopper 241 located at the left hand side of the machine frame near the front end, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, two tins being removed simultaneously, one from. the top of each stack, and deposited, respectively, on the two tin plate blank guides 224-230, to be ultimately clamped on the two lateral ed 'es of atray held on a forming block.

The magazine or hopper 24L consists of two similar upright channel guides 242 for the blanks, said channels being open at each end and at their left hand sides. The inner transverse flange 248 of each channel guide is narrower than the outer flange 244. The channel guides are secured together by appropriate connecting bars and the hopper is provided with lugs 245 through which bolts 246 enter the left hand edge of table 201, and a horizontal flange 247 resting on the front end of member 12 of side frame 9 through which passes a bolt 248. Plates 249, adjustably secured to the vertical edges of flanges 244 of the channel guides by means of headed bolts 250 engaging through open ended slots in the plates 249., confine the tin plate blanks against lateral escape, while rendering the contents of the maga Zine or hopper visible. Other suitable means for confining the tins, such as hinged plates or doors, may be used instead of the slotted plates shown. The spaces between the edges of the flanges 243 and adjustable plates 249 also adapt the hopper to inclose two follower plates 251, integrally connected by a cross tie 252 through said spaces. The cross tie is supported by a projection 253, which has a threaded opening through which a rotary threaded rod 254 engages. In the embodiment illustrated the rod 254 has a left hand thread whereby a clockwise rotation imparted thereto at its lower end feeds upward the follower plates 251, and consequently the blanks resting thereon. The upper end of threaded rod 254 is jou"- ualedin a cross web or plate 255 bridged across between the upper ends of the flanges 24-3 of the magazine channels. Its extreme lower end passes through a. vertical bearing in a bracket 256 that is bolted to the inner side of the extension 14 on the lower front end of the left hand side member 9. The threaded rod also passes through an opening in the bracket 257 at the lower end of the threaded portion. Secured to the lower end of rod 254 is a hand wheel by means of which the followers may be run down when desired, either to correct the adjustment or for the purpose of refilling the magazine.

The tin blanks T previously cut to the desired size and proportions, fit neatly in the channels of the magazine. They may be stacked therein by hand by inserting a few at a time through the sides of the chanllltl 'ncls atter opening or removing the plates 249, or by manually pushinga full height stack from an independent container that had been previously filled while the machine was in operation. The tops 01" the magazine channels are about level with the surfaces .with their long dimensions longitudinal ot' the machine.

Mechanism is provided to'automatically teed the'stacks of tin plate blanks upward at such a rate as to maintain the topmostblanks at the same elevation so that two may be picked off at each cycle in the opera tion. of the machine by the automatic device referred to. The mechanism comprises a ratchet. wheel 259 secured to threaded shaft 254, said ratchetwheel having .a hub, the lower end oi which rests on top of .the Nertical bearing on the bracket. Mounted to oscillate on the shaft 25dand with its under :lace resting on the upper face otthe ratchet wheel. 259, is a pawl-carrying plate 260 which is held down on the ratchet wheel by a collar 261 secured to the threaded.

.263, to which one end of a link 26 1 is connected. The other end of link .264 is connected to a pin 265 on a block orcollar 266 that loosely surrounds the rod-like part .267, that slides in a horizontal bearing 268 on the said bracket 256 and is part of a cam fork 269. hooked pin 266, secured to rod .267 in one direction, and is urged in that direction by a spring 273. The pawl 262 has a short handle or tail piece 262 by which it maybe manually held out of engagement with the ratchet teeth in order to permit the screw rod 254 to be rotated counter clockwise by the handle 258 in order to lower the followers 251. against the ratchet wheel to1prevent-areturn movement of the screw 254 when the pawl retracts to engage another ratchet :tooth in a manner well known in connection with ratchet and pawl mechanism. The cam dork 269 carries a roller stud 270 that engages a ram projection .271 on the perimeter of a' cam 312 secured to shaft 1S the to 'ked end of the cam fork passing astride a flanged The collar 266 presses against a A spring detent .259" rests,

hub on said cam 312. The compression spring 27 3 surrounding the rod 267 and bearing at one end against the slidable col lar 266, bears at the other end against a shoulder formed at the junction of the rod .267 with the cam forked portion 269. Thus the collar266 is pushed forward once ateach revolution of .the cam 262,701 once in each complete cycle of the machine by the yieldable spring 278; and if any considerable resistance occurs betwen the collar and the magazine follower the spring 273 avill yield and no damage be done. The hooked stop pin 266 has one end of a coiled tension spring 274 attached to it, the opposite end of said spring being attached to a stud or bracket 27 5 secured to the left hand side frame 9. Spring 274: holds the roller stud 2-70 on :the cam fork 269 against the perimeter of the cam 812. The end of the rod- 267 carries two nuts 276 which stop the in ward movement of the cam under ilk-3131111 oit spring .27dagainst the bearing 268, and may serve as an adjusting means to determine theextent of reciprocation of said cam form and adjust the ratchet diced. The throw of cam .271 is so timed that (the upward movement of the stacks of tins takes place when theoscillatory conveyer or feed .arm is in its Elowest position overthe magazine :and normally in-contact with the top- 1110813 .tins. If an over-feed hasoccurred the spring 273 "will yield 7 and prevent injury while at the 'sametime the topmost tins will be kept snugly-against the pneumatic face of :the conveyer arm of the automatic teed -de-. -vice to :be described. v

The tinszare-removed from the top of the magazine in pairs and deposited inpairs on the avide portions of the surfaces of guides 224 :by an oscillatory hollow pneuend are two parallel, flat, O blOllgj slightly projecting faces covered, preferably; with (flat plates28l of brass or other non-inagnetic material, holes piercing these plates and extending through the wall of the hollow arm 27.8. 'Theplates are of-a size and outline and :are approximately spaced to tit suitably upon the uppermost tins in the me.-

sgazine stacks. In the wall of the hollow (iii ing 205. A hollow branch of casting 205 extends transversely toward the center line of the machine and has a valve chamber 284, inclosing a valve seat 285, below which is a chamber communicating with a nozzle 284 adapted to be connected to a conduit containing an exhaust fan or leading to any suitable means for withdrawing air. r valve 280 is arranged to open and close communication between the chamber and the exhaust connection. A. valve stem 287, threaded to the valve 286 (which is adjustably held by a lock nut thereon) is guided in the lower wall of the valve chamber, and a continuation 288 of said stem extends through a removable cap 289 closing an opening on the upper side of the chamber 284-. The orifice covered by the cap 289 is large enough to permit removal of the valve 286 therethrough. The lower end of valve stem 287 is threaded and passes through a hole in the offset end 291 of a cam fork 292, and not adjustable here, simply locked, and secured thereto by threaded nuts 287. The valve is adjustably threaded and locked on its stem. The cam fork 292 carries a roller stud 293, which bears upon the periphery of a quick throw cam 29% secured on the hub of the adjacent cam 328 which is secured on shaft 16 and the forked end slides astride an annularly grooved part of the hub of said cam 328. The cam 2% lifts the valve so that air may be withdrawn from the hollow conveyor arm at that portion of the cycle when the plates are to be lifted from the magazine and transferred to the guides 224 and releases the valve so that the weight of the valve, its stem and the cam fork 292 will seat it again when the tins are deposited on the said guides. When the valve 286 is open an air exhaust means (not shown) causes sufficient reduction of pressure within the conveyor arm to hold the tins against the faces of the plates 281, and when the connection with the air exhaust means is cut off by closure of the valve 280, there is sufficient seepage of air around the stem passage in the cap 289 to soon equalize the pressure again while the conveyor is at rest in position to release the tins. Obviously a vent and vent valve may be controlled by the said valve stem if desired.

In conveying the tins from the magazine to the guides, a down and up movement is imparted to the conveyor 277, in order to pick the tins from the magazine, and a down and up movement is imparted to said conveyor after the arm 278 has swung 90 from the magazine to the point of deposit. Mechanism to be now described is provided for imparting both the vertical and oscillatory movements to said conveyor.

Upon the reduced end 280 of the vertical shaft 279 is splined a miter gear wheel 295, as shown in Figure 4, so that the shaft 280 and miter gear wheel 295 rotate together but the shaft may move vertically through the hub of said miter gear. The upper end of the hub of the gear 295 bears against the lower end of the hollow chamber 205 where the shaft extension 280 emerges, and a bracket bearing 296 bolted to the air chamber casting 205 supports said gear from beneath. The said bracket 296 (Figures 1 and 4) also has two horizontal alined bearings in which a shaft 297 is journaled, said shaft carrying a miter gear 298 meshing with the miter gear 295. The hub of gear 298 bears against one face of one of said horizontal alined bearings, and secured on said shaft on the other side of the same bearing is a crank arm 299 having a hub lying against said bearing so that the shaft is secured against any lengthwise movement. The outer end of crank arm 299 is slotted at 300 (Figures 1 and 2). A stud 801 is adjustably mounted in the slot. On the stud is pivoted or swiveled a connector 302 having a hole at right angles to the stud 301, through which passes the threaded end of a cam fork 303 secured on each side of the connector by adjustable nuts 30.4. The cam fork 303 carries a roller stud 305 which engages a cam groove in tl e left hand face of a cam 306 secured on shaft 16 astride the hub of which cam 300 the arms of the cam fork reciprocate. The groove in the cam is so designed as to cause a dwell or period of rest at the end of each outward or inward stroke. The an'iplitude of movement of crank arm 299 may be varied by adjusting the stud 301 in the slot 300, and the locus, or the beginning and ending points of the arc of oscillation may be changed by adjusting the nuts 804. The amplitude of throw of the cam is such that, with the transmission used, the arm 278 may oscillate through an arc of 90, included between lines longitudinal and transverse of the machine intersecting at the axis of oscillation.

Stop brackets 27? carrying adjustable stop screws 278" may be. provided if desired one at each end of are of movement of arm 278 to prevent any over movement of arm 278 toward depositing or picking up position in case of looseness of operating parts.

In order to impart the necessary up and down movement to the pneumatic feed device 277, the following described mechanism is provided:

Between two collars 307, secured to the lower end of the extension 280 of the vertical hollow shaft 279 (Figures 1 and 4:), is a collar 308 on the branched ends 309 of a cam fork 310 which carries a roller stud 311 engaging a cam groove in the cam 312 secured to shaft 16 The groove in ram 312 is designed to impart two reciprocations to the cam fork 310 at each revolution and to pro duce a rest or dwell beneath each upward ill) them long enough to assure seizure, rise,

swing to the point of deposit, drop, rest long enougl'i toassure release after valve 286 is closed, again rise and swing back to initial position over the magazine.

In order that. the flat i111 plate blanks T deposited on the guides 22 1: by the arm 278 may be fed to the" die block 228, and; the "V- lsl ra-ped blanks stamped by the die plates may be fed to the forming mechanism, the

feed plate 213 carrying the feed lingers 220 must be recipro-ca-ted once during every cycle I r i n a I of the machine, so that the shoulder 221 of each food linger, which shoulder projects above the surface of the guides 224., may ei'igag e the ends of the tin plate blanks 'l and push theni over the matrices 236 in; die

blocks 228; and the tips of the fingers 220 on the next forward movement will engage the t -shaped blanks in the matrix grooves 236' and push them onward througl-i the grooves 238 to the clamping aws, (described in said prior application), which clamp the V- shaped tins onto the edges of the tray formed on the forming block. To reciprocate the feed plate 218' the gear wheel 2L5, before mentioned, must be oscillated or alter nately rotated in opposite directions. The gear wheel 215 is secured to ashaft 830.jourmiled in hangers 331 depending from the table 201.

each feed fi er hanger 33.1, is a pinion 332. ()n the right hand hanger is a slide bearing 333' having a groove to receive and guide rack 334, said groove being closed by a face plate 335. '1 he rack 253d has offset parallel end members 336 having alii 2d perforations through which rod h s upper end outside the upper offset 336 on the rack. Above the lower offset a collar 339 is adj ustably secured on the rod, and a coiled expansion spring 8-39 surrounds said rod, having one end bearing on collar 339 and the other end bearing upon the upper offset 336, whereby an upward thrust is applied yield ingly to the rack 334-. The lower end of rod 3 3? is threaded into the upper end of a cam fork 3410, which carries a roller stud 3&1, engaging a cam groove in the right hand face of ram 34:2 secured on shaft 16, and the forked arms of said cam fork are guided astride the hub of said cam 342'. The groove of cam 342 is so designed as to give a dwell to the feed plate at the limit of movement to the stacking position and a quick reciprocation. Should the tins choke in the pathof the feed finger the spring 339" will yield and no damage can result. The inclined shoulder on the upper edge of and the inclined shoulder Secured to said shaft on the right hand end, outside of the right hand- 3r having nuts 838 threaded to I 223 on the lower edge provide ample clearance to avoid frictional wear on cover plate and engagement of the end of the finger w th the die block 228 when the linger enters the cl iannel below the V shaped matrix groove;

' livo stacks of sheet metal blanks T having been placed in the magazine 2451 provided for them near the front of the machine, and the followers 251 adjusted so as to hung the topmost blanll's to' the top of the magazine,

the machine is ready for operation. At the cont mencement of a cycle two tinsare rest.

ing in the matrix grooves, the feed fingers 220 are at their front or starting position, the pneumatic conveyor arm 278 is over the magazine 2411. As the drive shaft rotates, at the proper instant with relation to the movements of associated mechanism, the pneumatic conveyor arm 278 drops to bring the perforated plates 281 onto the two top blanks T in the magazine, the valve 286 has opened and the air pressure has been reduced in the arm 27 8, arm 27 8 is then lifted, swung 30 dropped so as to place the blanks T 1011- gitudinally on the surfaces 232 of the guides 22d, and the valve 286 closed, releasing the blanks T on the guides, in position for the shoulder 221 of the feed lingers 220 to engage them and advance them to the bending dies.

hat I claim anddesire to secure by Let tors Patent is:

1'. In a tray forming mechanism, the coI11- bination of a guide for blanks, a magazine adapted to hold a stack of oblong blanks transversely of the guide ay, an oscillating arm adapted to transfer blanks from the magazine to theguideway, said arm moving through an angle of ninety degrees whereby to deposit the blanks lengtl'iwise of the guideway and a rigid abutment at the top of the stack for preventing the stack from raising above a certain height.

2. In a tray for ning mechanism,the com bination of a guideway for blanks, a magazine adapted tohold a stack of oblong blanks transversely of theguideway, an oscillating arm adapted to transfer blanks from the having converging confining walls for the blanks and means for adjusting the guideway transversely, the arrangement of the guideway and oscillating arm being such that the blanks will be deposited on the wider portion of the guideway. v

at. In a tray forming machine, a guideway for blanks having a central longitudinal space, a feed finger reciprocating in said space, said feed finger having a shoulder extending above the surface of the guideway and adapted to engage the edge of a blank.

5. In a tray forming mechanism, a feed mechanism f0 metal blanks comprising a reciprocable rack, a gearing for reciprocating said rack, a reciprocating rack for oscillating said gearing, said last mentioned rack having offset members at its opposite ends, a reciprocating rod over which the ends of said rack are sleeved, a spring surrounding said rod and tending to press said rack toward the end thereof and adapted to yield in the event of abnormal obstruction, and means for reciprocating said rod.

(3. In a tray forming mechanism, a magazine for holding a stack of blanks, a follower for feeding the stack upwards, a screw for advancing the follower, mechanism for rotating the screw step by step, a yielding device actuating the step by step mechanism whereby the latter will cease to act in case of abnormal obstruction and a rigid abutment at the top of the stack for preventing the stack from raising above a certain height.

7. In a tray i'iorming mechanism, a magazine for holding stack of blanks, a pneumatic feed device adapted to be brought in contact with the top of the stack to remove he blanks one by one from the magazine, a follower adapted to feed the blanks upward, a screw for operating the'follower, a device for intermittingly rotating the screw, a yielding means for actuating said intermittingly acting device, a means for actuating the feed device, means for actuating said yielding means so timed that the yielding means will be actuated when the feed device rests on top of the stack and a rigid abutment at the top of the stack for preventing the stack from raising above a certain height. 7

8. In a tray forming mechanism, a magazine for holding a stack of blanks, a pneumatic conveying device adapted. to descend on the topmost blank and then remove it from the stack, a follower for elevating the stack, an intermittingly acting device for elevating the follower, a sliding means on the intcrmi tinn'ly acting device adapted to yield and prevent feeding in the event of abnormal ol istruction, the means for actuating the conveying device and the follower elevating device being so timed that the follower elevating device operates when the conveying device is in position to remove a blank from the stack.

9. In a tray forming mechanism, a magezine for holding a stack of blanks, a follower adapted to feed the blanks upward, a screw for operating the follower, a ratchet on the screw, an oscillating pawl carrier and pawl, a reciprocating bar adapted to oscillate said pawl carrier, a slide bearing for said bar, a cam for moving said bar in one direction, and a spring for retracting it, and an adjustable stop on the reciprocating bar arranged to engage the slide bearing, and limit the retracting movement of the reciprocating bar, whereby the amplitude of the oscillation of the pawl carrier may be varied.

10. In a tray forming mechanism, a magazine for holding a stack of blanks, and means for feeding the stack upward, a hollow shaft having a laterally extending hollow arm having a perforated contact surface adapted to hold a blank, regulatable means for reducing the pressure within said arm below atmospheric comprising a valve, means to oscillate said arm, from a position where the contact surface is over the magazine to a position of deposit, means formed to cause the arm to descend at one end of its oscillation to bring the contact surface against a blank, and then rise, and to lower the arm and raise it at the other end of its oscillation, and mechanism timed so as to open the valve at the time of contact with a blank and retain it open until the arm has descended at the end of its oscillation and then to close the valve before the arm again rises.

11. In a. tray forming mechanism, a magazine, an air chamber having a nozzle adapted to be connected with an air exhaust device, a valve for controlling the passage of air from the chamber, a hollow shaft rotatable and vertically slidable with respect to said chamber, said hollow shaft having an air port communicating at all times with said chamber, a pneumatic conveyor arm projecting from said shaft adapted to remove blanks from said magazine, means to oscillate said shaft and means to reciprocate said shaft in proper time to lift, remove and deposit a blank, and means timed to open said valve when the arm is in position to lift, convey and deposit a blank, and to close as soon as the arm has reached the depositing position.

12. In a tray forming imclu-mism, apneumatic feed mechanism, con'iprisingan air chaml'mr having a port adapted to be con nected with an air exhausting de .i cc, a valve chamber and a lmrizontal partition containing a valve seat adjacent the port within the chamber, a valve stem passii'ig through the walls of the chamber above and below said partition, a valve adjustably tlu'eaded to the valve stem, a rod depend ing from the lower end of the valve stem and a cam disposed to push the rod upward but permit it to descend by gravity only.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALOYSIUS JOSEPH KUSTERER. 

